If Groundhog Day collided with Final Destination and The Butterfly Effect after getting rear-ended by The Matrix, you’d have The Deaths of Ian Stone, an imaginative and unpredictable science-fiction thriller.

Groundhog Day, of course, followed an Everyman as he relived a comically different version of the title day after day. The Deaths of Ian Stone approaches the frustrations of an all-American guy being stuck in a déjà vu time warp as well, except with a lot more blood. Every day, 20-something Ian Stone (Mike Vogel) wakes up living a different life and, before the end of the day, meets a horrific death.

Ian retains memories of the lives he’s lost, however, and has gathered clues that help explain his predicament. First, his former girlfriend (Christina Cole) appears in every life in a different form (as neighbour, co-worker, etc) and always ties in to his demises. Second, Ian encounters a dark-cloaked character whose head spins, twists, and vibrates. This fellow is an inhuman Harvester, an alien creature who feeds on human fear: a bunch of these are all determined to murder Ian on a daily basis.

What do the Harvesters want with Ian? What does Ian’s girlfriend have to do with all of this? And who is the old man who keeps giving Ian information about the creatures hell-bent on his destruction? He better find out fast, because until Ian Stone can figure out why he’s dying so much, the bloodshed will surely continue.

Alas, when Ian finds the answers, they’re a bit too simple. The screenplay by Brendan Hood (who also wrote Wes Craven’s They) often relies on exposition, which is frustrating because he’s clearly creative enough to use kinetic action instead of dialogue for explanation. On revealing the answers, The Death of Ian Stone turns from being a horror mystery into a paranormal X Files-type flick that doesn’t quite know how to transition from one genre to the next, and eventually comes to resemble an adult video game.
Still, director Dario Piana keeps the film moving at a clean, tightly wound pace. Stan Winston’s (Wrong Turn) studio team creates gleefully inventive prosthetics and special effects, but Piana never relies on props to propel the action. The Deaths of Ian Stone maintains a violent and energetic spirit, seldom making for a dull moment.

The film’s greatest asset is the actor behind Ian Stone, Mike Vogel. Ever since The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Vogel has had a knack for appearing in horror movies (he will be in several this year, including Cloverfield and Open Graves). His talents surpass the genre; he’s one of the more underrated actors in his age range. He isn’t a show off like Chris Evans and doesn’t overact like Seann William Scott; he brings a gentle, everyman charisma to his performances. He delivers Ian Stone with the perfect blend of confusion, desperation, and intensity. Vogel carries the film with strength and conviction, and proves himself more than worthy of future lead roles.

Even with Vogel’s allure and Stan Winston’s phenomenal production values, The Deaths of Ian Stone is not a perfect film by any means, but it is sheer entertainment. And that’s enough to make this a must-see for horror and science-fiction fans alike. Blake French